Drying machine



Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

J. Q *L DRYING MACHINE. v APPLICATION FILED ozcna. 1919.

f T. ALLSOP AND W. W. SIBSON;

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771022146 fll/lsops wwltzralasz'bson, Y Y 2 M ATTORNEYS.

I. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS ALLSOP AND' WALTER W. SIBSON, OF FHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNORS TO THE PHILADELPHIA DRYING'MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PHILA- DELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,"A CORPORATION OF IENNSYLVANIA.

' DRYING MACHINE,

To all whom z'tmay concern:

Be it knownthat we, THOMAS ALLsor and WALTER W. SIBsON', citizens of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drying Machines, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying draw- Ihe invention relates to drying machines, and more especially to such machines employed for the treating of china, crockery, etc. Briefiy Outlined, such a machine consists of an enclosure which is traversed by a slowly moving, Supporting conveyor for the articles to be treated; means for modifying the atmosphere within the enclosure; and propelling means for constantly circulating the drying medium within the enclosure.

The present invention is more particularly directed to a novel propelling means having associated with it a deflecting surface, which, in co-operation with it definitely determines the course of the circulation of the air within the enclosure.

The invention also comprehends certain other novel details of construction and arrangement which will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.

The illustration represents, more or less diagrammatically, a drying machine which is, in a general sense, typical in form, in that it comprises an enclosure 1 having in its end walls openings 2 and 3 through which access may be had, for the purposes of loading and unloading, to the sprocket chain conveyor 4. This con eyor is slowly progressed through the structure over a circuitous path under the guidance of a number of sprockets 5. 5, by any appropriate driving means. In drying apparatus of the type to which the present invention relates, the conveyor is usually provided with a series of pivotally suspended carriers such as shown at 6, 6, upon which the articles to be treated are mounted in any convenient manner.

The interior of the enclosure is divided by a laterally extending U shaped partitioning unit 7 into a central or drying chamber 8 and an auxiliary channel comprising the vertical end branches 9, 10, and a common horizontal connecting branch 11. As will Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

Application filed December 18, 1919. Serial No. 345,822.

be noted from the'illustration, a portion of: the conveyor run passes through the auxiliary channel in order that its carriers 6 may be reached through the openings 2, 3 for loading and unloading.

At the regions of its merger with the vertical components 12 and 13, of the partitioning unit 7, the bottom component 15, is supplemented with inclinations 16 and 17, for a reason to be presently described.

' Centrally disposed within the chamber 8, and revolving upona transverse axis in close "proximity and parallel to the bottom 15, is a rotary paddle 20, I which is preferably coextensive in width with the structure, and -wh1ch maybe rotated in elther direction by any approved means. By reason of such proximity of the paddle wheel to the bottom 15 of the drying chamber, said bottom becomes effective as a deflecting surface and de termines definitely the course of circulation of the air set up within the enclosure in a manner indicated by the arrows in the drawing, when the paddle wheel is rotated in one direction. When the motion of the paddle wheel is reversed, it will be obvious that a similar circulation will be set up in an opposite direction. In either event, it will be seen that the inclines 16 and 17, serve to facilitate the flow. of the drying medium within the chamber.

In order to modify the atmosphere in the drying chamber, we have provided a number of heating coil banks 21. These are distributed in the space above the paddle wheel and preferably between adjacent runs of the conveyor. By virtue of such distribution, the coils lie directly in the path of the circulated air, thereby not only heating the same by radiation, but effecting a diversion of the flow in such manner as to produce a uniform distribution and dispersion, so that the articles carried by the conveyor are, as a consequence, evenly dried.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A drying machine including, in combination, an enclosure; and a paddle wheel therein revolving in close proximity to one of the enclosure walls as a deflecting surface, the latter thus definitely determining the course of the air circulation set up within the enclosure under the propulsion of the paddle wheel.

2. A drying machine including, in combination, an enclosure comprising a drying chamber having its bottom arranged as a de fleeting surface, and supplemented with upwardly inclined extensions at the regions of merger with opposite Walls; and acentrally disposed paddle wheel revolving in close proximity to the deflecting surface, the latter thus determining definitely the course of the air circulation set up Within the enclosure under propulsion of the paddle Wheel.

3. A drying machine including, in combination, an enclosure comprising a drying chamber having its bottom arranged as a deflecting surface; a centrally disposed paddle Wheel revolving upon a transverse axis in close proximity to the deflecting surface, the latter thus confining the course of the air circulation set up Within the enclosure under propulsion of the paddle Wheel to a 1ongitudinal direction; and a supporting conveyor tracing a circuitous path within the structure in the same general direction as that of the air circulation.

4. A drying machine including, in combination, an enclosure comprising a drying chamber having its bottom arranged as a defleeting surface; a centrally disposed paddle Wheel revolving in close proximity to the defleeting surface, the latter thus definitely detel-mining the course of the air circulation set up Within the enclosure under propulsion of the paddle Wheel; and heating devices distributed about the drying chamber in the space above said paddle Wheel, and in the path of the air flow.

5. A drying machine including, in combination, an enclosure; U shaped partition means extending transversely across said enclosure to form a drying chamber; and a centrally disposed paddle Wheel revolving in close proximity to the horizontal component of said partition means.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto signed our names at Philadelphia, Pennsyl vania, this twelfth day of December, 1919.

THOMAS ,ALLSOP. WALTER W. SIBSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. BELL, E. L. FmmnRroN. 

